Sam Cooling is a crypto, finance, and business journalist based in London. Along with Techopedia, his work has appeared in Yahoo Finance, Coin Rivet, and…
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The crypto winter refers to a prolonged bear market. From an investment perspective, this presents an opportunity to find the top crypto to buy that is high-quality and at a favorable price.
In this guide, we reveal the best crypto winter tokens to buy in 2024.
List of the Top Crypto Winter Tokens
According to industry analysts, here’s a list of the best crypto winter tokens to buy in 2024:
Pepe Unchained – Best winter token built on Ethereum’s L2 blockchain. $8.4M raised.
Crypto All-Stars – Stake the world’s best meme coins on one single crypto platform.
Base Dawgz – New dog-themed meme coin offers multi-bridge utility.
PlayDoge – New play-to-earn token has raised $6 million on presale.
The Meme Games – Olympics-themed meme coin hosts meme races. Get 571% staking APY.
ShibaShootout – Wild West-themed meme coin. $933K raised on presale.
Sponge V2 – New token version of a popular meme coin. 100X price increase in 2023.
Bitcoin – Most Popular Crypto Token and a Solid Store of Value
Uniswap – Decentralized Exchange for Trading Tokens via Automated Market Makers
Solana – Great Smart Contract Alternative to the Ethereum Blockchain
Cosmos – Blockchain Interoperability Solutions for the Future of Web3
Ripple XRP – Cross-Border Payment Network for Financial Institutions
Full Analysis of the Best Coins to Invest in During the Crypto Winter
There are many options to consider when searching for the best coins to invest in during the crypto winter. In the sections below, we analyze the 11 best crypto winter tokens from the list above.
1. Pepe Unchained – Overall Best Crypto Winter Token, Get Fast Transaction Speeds
We have picked Pepe Unchained ($PEPU) as the overall best crypto winter token to buy in 2024. This is a new Pepe-themed token that is built on Ethereum’s layer-two (L2) blockchain network.
L2 tokens offload transactions from the main chain, resulting in greater efficiency and faster transaction speeds. Furthermore, L2 tokens such as $PEPU also charge lower gas fees from token holders while offering high staking rewards.
$PEPU can be staked on Pepe Unchained to generate an APY (Annual percentage yield) of 231%. Pepe Unchained has a total supply of 8 billion tokens, of which 2.4 billion will be distributed as staking rewards.
Another 20% of the token supply is being distributed through the presale. Currently, $PEPU is priced at just $0.0090178 per token. By the beginning of the crypto winter, $PEPU will be listed on several exchanges, which can help push the trading volume and price.
The Pepe Unchained presale has already raised more than $8.4 million in only a few months. Read the Pepe Unchained whitepaper and join the Telegram channel to learn more about this meme coin.
2. Crypto All-Stars – Revolutionary Crypto Platform Created for Staking All your Favorite Meme Coins
Crypto All-Stars ($STARS) is a new meme coin that is soaring on presale – over $350K is raised in only a few days. $STARS, the native token, is in high demand due to the platform’s unique utility and earning opportunities for the wider meme coin community.
On Crypto All-Stars, meme coin holders can stake their favorite assets on a staking mechanism called the ‘MemeVault.’ The MemeVault supports multiple meme tokens, including Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Floki Inu, and Pepe.
In return for staking your tokens, the MemeVault will regularly payout $STARS tokens as a reward. The annual yield reward will be tripled for those investors that already hold the $STARS token.
Furthermore, $STARS itself can be staked on Crypto All-Stars to earn an annual yield of up to 5,073%. 25% of the entire 42.069 billion token supply will be distributed as rewards to MemeVault participants.
Due to these reasons, Crypto All-Stars is shaping up to be one of the best winter tokens in 2024. In the coming months, $STARS will conduct its exchange listing and can potentially offer huge gains ahead of the winter.
3. Base Dawgz – New Multi-Chain Meme Token Has Raised Over $2.9M on Presale
Base Dawgz ($DAWGZ) is a new meme coin built on the Base blockchain. The Base meme coin market cap has recently exceeded the $2 billion mark. As investors are looking for new meme tokens built on Base, Base Dawgz offers unique utility.
It is one of the few meme tokens that offers cross-chain compatibility. This means that $DAWGZ tokens can be bridged from the Base chain to Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, and Binance. Thus, token holders can seamlessly connect with fast and efficient networks.
Base Dawgz also stands out due to its exciting share-to-earn airdrop campaign. To promote platform adoption, Base Dawgz will reward members who share content on X related to the project. For each post shared, Base Dawgz will offer $DAWGZ via airdrops.
This new meme token will also allocate 20% of its 8.453 billion token supply through staking pools to long-term token holders. All these reasons could help Base Dawgz to become one of the best winter tokens in 2024.
4. PlayDoge – Best P2E Meme Coin to Buy During the Crypto Winter
We have picked PlayDoge ($PLAY) as the best crypto winter token in 2024. This new play-to-earn (P2E) meme token offers exciting earning opportunities through its in-game rewards and staking benefits.
While $PLAY, the native token, is currently available to buy on presale, it will be trading on centralized and decentralized exchanges by the crypto winter. This gives early investors ample opportunity to buy the token before the price increases.
$PLAY can be won as an in-game reward on PlayDoge’s P2E gaming ecosystem. The P2E mode allows players to leverage their own pet Doge avatars in battle and earn $PLAY tokens as an in-game reward. As the platform launches, the demand for $PLAY could substantially increase.
Furthermore, PlayDoge offers long-term growth potential through its staking mechanism. At press time, $PLAY can be staked on the ETH and BNB chains to earn an annual yield of up to 77% and 69%, respectively.
All these use cases have helped PlayDoge secure a presale raise of over $8.4 million in just a few months. By the end of the presale, PlayDoge aims to raise more than $24 million. Read the PlayDoge whitepaper and join the Telegram channel to learn more about this project.
5. The Meme Games – New Meme Token Hosts Olympics-Style Races, Get Gamified Presale Bonuses
The Meme Games ($MGMES) is a play-to-win meme coin that rewards presale investors with bonuses through its Olympics-style races. After purchasing tokens on presale, $MGMES investors can pick a candidate to represent them in a 169m dash sprint.
There are five characters to choose from for this race – including popular meme personas such as Pepe, Dogecoin, Turbo, Brett, and Dogwifhat. If your picked character wins the race, you get a 25% investment bonus.
This exciting strategy has got investors interested in The Meme Games presale – which has raised $362K in only a few days. The Meme Games also promotes long-term token holding by launching its Ethereum-based staking mechanism.
$MGMES tokens can be staked on the mechanism to earn up to 571% in annual yield. Currently, $MGMES can be purchased for just $0.0092 per token on presale. 38% of the total 2.024 billion token supply will be distributed through the course of the presale.
The next coin on our list is $SHIBASHOOT, the native token of ShibaShootout. This is a meme token that explores the world of the Wild West. The digital world features Shiba-looking cowboys who can engage in storytelling modes, stake tokens, and win lotteries.
$SHIBASHOOT, the native token, could become one of the top tokens by the crypto winter. Currently, the token is priced at $0.0198 on presale. In only a few months, the ShibaShootout presale has raised more than $933K.
After the token lists on exchanges, ShibaShootout may increase in demand due to its several use cases. For instance, token holders can buy tickets and participate in lotteries. $SHIBASHOOT can also be used to access voting rights on the platform and be staked to earn a high annual yield.
Through ShibaShootout’s unique storytelling platform, community members can share their mem coin journeys and win tokens for sharing engaging stories.
7. Sponge V2 – Top Meme Coin With a 68% Staking APY
Sponge V2 is a meme coin upgrade from the already successful Sponge V1. The first version peaked at $100 million market cap in 2023, earning 100x for those who bought the presale and held to the top.
Aside from being a meme coin, Sponge V2 aims to build a Sponge play-to-earn racing game that will bring utility to the token.
If you already hold Sponge V1 tokens, you can stake them on the Sponge V2 site to get your upgraded tokens. If you don’t have V1 tokens, though, visit the Sponge V2 site and purchase the tokens with ETH and USDT. You need an Ethereum-based wallet to complete the purchase.
Once you have that ready, stake your tokens to earn over 68% annual percentage yield. The sooner you stake, the more tokens you can earn as the APY will drop as more tokens are staked.
This is an excellent way to add more tokens to your bag without actually purchasing them.
In the Sponge V2 whitepaper, the team has outlined three stages on the project’s roadmap. We are now in the first stage where the token staking is live. Stage two will let you claim your tokens, and $SPONGEV2 will be listed on major exchanges. In the final stage, the team will launch the racing game.
8. Bitcoin – Most Popular Crypto Token and a Solid Store of Value
Presales offer the greatest upside potential even during a crypto winter but established tokens like Bitcoin are also an important component of an investor’s portfolio and BTC has forever been a favorite long-term crypto investment.
Bitcoin remains the largest crypto token by market cap and will likely do so indefinitely. Therefore, the crypto winter has presented a great opportunity to buy Bitcoin at a discount. But as one of the most volatile cryptos on the market, is BTC still a good buy during a crypto winter?
After hitting an all-time high of almost $69,000 during the previous bull run, Bitcoin has since fallen to 52-week lows of $16,000. As of writing, Bitcoin is trading at around $27,000, which is more than 50% above its 52-week low. However, this current price point still means that Bitcoin is available to buy at a 60% discount from its former all-time high.
It remains to be seen how long the crypto winter will remain in place. This means that the best way to invest in Bitcoin is through dollar-cost averaging.
9. Uniswap – Decentralized Exchange for Trading Tokens via Automated Market Makers
Uniwap is one of the best crypto winter tokens to buy for exposure to decentralized finance (DeFi). This established exchange enables traders to buy and sell tokens without needing a third party, let alone conventional order books.
Instead, Uniswap has revolutionized online trading through its automated market maker (AMM) model.
Put simply, this allows a buyer to purchase a token without needing a seller. This is possible because the AMM framework uses liquidity pools. Each pool is funded by investors, which enables them to earn a passive income. Uniswap is backed by an ERC-20 token, UNI. When compared to its 52-week high of $12.43, UNI is trading at a 54% discount right now.
10. Solana – Great Smart Contract Alternative to the Ethereum Blockchain
Although Ethereum is the de-facto smart contract platform, there are alternative options with higher upside potential. Solana, for example, can process transactions more efficiently and cost-effectively in comparison to Ethefact, Solana can process many thousands of transactions per second. Fees amount to a small fraction of a cent.
The Solana founders are actively working to overcome the negative impact of FTX’s stain on their token, striving to regain confidence and momentum in the maInAnd in terms of valuation, SOL carries a much lower market capitalization than Ethereum, at $8.5 billion and $200 billion respectively. Solana is also one of the best crypto winter tokens to buy for value, considering its current price. For instance, compared to its 52-week high price of $143, Solana can be purchased at an 86% discount.
11. Cosmos – Blockchain Interoperability Solutions for the Future of Web3
Cosmos continues to build its decentralized framework, which provides blockchain interoperability solutions. In simple terms, this means that through Cosmos, blockchains can communicate and share data. This is the case even if the two blockchains use completely different consensus mechanisms.
For instance, a Bitcoin transaction could run in conjunction with an Ethereum smart contract. In the future of web3, interoperability is expected to play a major role. As such, Cosmos and its underlying ATOM token could be one of the best crypto winter coins to buy today. Compared to its 52-week high, ATOM is trading at a 63% discount.
12. Ripple – Cross-Border Payment Network for Financial Institutions
Ripple is one of the most established blockchain projects in the market. Founded in 2012, Ripple has built a cross-border payments network that facilitates international transfers. XRP, the project’s native token, sits at the heart of the Ripple framework. This is because XRP provides liquidity when non-major currencies are being transferred.
For instance, a bank in Kenya might need to transfer funds to a manufacturer in Brazil. When performing this transaction through SWIFT, high fees and slow processing times are likely.
Through Ripple, however, the transfer will take just 4-5 seconds and cost less than a cent. XRP is trading at a 40% discount compared to its 52-week high, meaning it is still one of the top penny cryptos to buy.
Methodology
How We Analyze and Review Cryptocurrencies
1000+ Crypto Assets Reviewed
300+ Research Hours
14 Key Variables Evaluated
50+ Expert Opinions Examined
To ensure our readers receive unbiased, thorough, and reliable information, we conduct extensive research and analysis of a wide range of cryptocurrencies. We assess each crypto asset based on 14 distinct criteria, some of which include:
Market Potential: We evaluate the likelihood of future growth and the overall potential within the crypto market.
Liquidity and Trading Volume: We analyze the ease of buying and selling cryptocurrencies and their trading activity.
Community and Support: We examine the level of community engagement and the quality of support available to users.
Price History and Market Sentiment: We review historical price data and current market sentiment.
Security Measures and Past Breaches: We check for strong security protocols and any history of security breaches
By following this thorough approach, we provide comprehensive and reliable reviews tailored to the needs of crypto enthusiasts and investors alike.
Crypto Winter Explained
The crypto winter refers to an extended bear market. This is a period where broader crypto prices decline, often by 70% or more. For instance, Bitcoin hit $69,000 in late 2021 only to decline by 75% down to $16,000. Cryptocurrencies with a smaller market cap have since seen even larger declines.
We should make it clear that the crypto market has gone through many bearish periods previously. Seasoned investors will use this time to build a portfolio of high-quality tokens at a huge discount. For instance, why pay $69,000 for Bitcoin when the world’s most popular crypto token can be purchased for just $16,000?
In terms of how long a crypto winter lasts, there is no definitive way to say with any certainty. Bitcoin has increased by more than 50% since hitting lows of $16,000, so this is good news for the industry. Many other cryptocurrencies have also shown signs of recovery – nonetheless, the crypto winter is still firmly in place.
Reasons to Invest During a Crypto Winter
Instead of avoiding the industry during a bear market, seasoned investors will often double down.
This is because the crypto winter offers many opportunities to purchase top-rated tokens at a favorable price. Here’s what to consider when assessing the best crypto to buy during the crypto winter.
Discounts From Prior All-Time Highs
Many of the top 100 crypto assets are trading at discounts of 70% or more. This is when compared to former all-time highs during the last altcoin season, many of which were achieved in late 2021.
Crucially, if an investor believes in the future of a crypto token, then it makes sense to invest when prices are low. This is no different from buying S&P 500 stocks during a bear market.
Presales Offer Extended Gains
Even amid a crypto winter, many newly launched tokens can be purchased via a presale campaign. Due to the low entry price, presales continue to be popular with growth investors.
Conclusion
While the crypto winter causes a strain on broader market prices, this offers a great time to build a portfolio of cheap digital assets.
One of the top cryptos we have reviewed is Pepe Unchained, a Pepe-themed meme coin built on Ethereum’s L2 chain. The Pepe Unchained presale has raised more than $8.4 million on presale.
During the crypto winter, it is wise to build a portfolio of both established and new tokens. Pepe Unchained is a great token to hold because it offers high staking rewards.
What is the crypto winter?
The crypto winter refers to an extended bear market. Just like in the stock market, crypto winters can last for many months, during which, prices of quality crypto tokens will decline – offering a great opportunity to invest at a discount.
Is the crypto winter ending?
Although we are still firmly in a bear market, there are signs that the crypto winter could be coming to an end. For instance, Bitcoin has increased by more than 50% when compared to its crypto winter lows of $16,000. We do, however, need an extended bull run before we can firmly confirm that the crypto winter is over.
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Sam Cooling is a crypto, finance, and business journalist based in London. Along with Techopedia, his work has appeared in Yahoo Finance, Coin Rivet, and other leading publications in the finance space. His interest in cryptocurrencies is driven by a passion for leveraging decentralized blockchain technologies to empower marginalized communities around the world. This includes enhancing financial transparency, banking the unbanked, and improving agricultural supply chains. Sam holds a Masters in Development Management from the London School of Economics and has worked as a junior research fellow at the UK Defence Academy.